- Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
- AMD Launches Ryzen PRO 7000 Series Mobile & Desktop Platform
- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Announces Latest Ada Lovelace Additions: GeForce RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 4060
- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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ECS Editor’s Day
A SIMA card will allow you to turn that PF88 Extreme Hybrid into an AMD motherboard, or perhaps a low powered Intel motherboard using their mobile part. The SIMA cards have their own additional North Bridge as well as power management and the required ram slots for the appropriate CPU (so no DDR2 for you AMD fans, at least until we see the AMD Socket M2).
Check it out at Viper Lair!
NVIDIA NVClock v0.8 BETA Preview
For the last couple of months we’ve been providing fairly
in-depth and frequent updates in regards to NVIDIA’s driver performance
as well as overclocking abilities. It wasn’t until recently that NVIDIA
began supporting CoolBits under Linux, prior to this the only
alternative was video BIOS editing or NVClock. Even though there hasn’t
been a major update to NVClock in over two years, earlier today the crew
over at Linux Hardware released the 0.8 Beta. Today, we’ll be offering
up a quick preview of this latest build.
I gotta check this out!! Read more at Phoronix.
Shuttle SD31P SD31P Barebone Dual Core Ready SFF PC Review
The Shuttle XPC Barebone SD31P is the worlds first Small Factor PC for Intel’s dual-core Pentium processors. Based on the Intel 945G chipset with ICH7-R, it supports both 64-bit and dual-core processors. Unfortunately we didn’t have a dual-core nor a 64-bit Intel processor to test the SD31P to its fullest potential. We used a Intel 540 for this review but in combination with a X850XT graphics card which makes this Shuttle a powerful fragbox ;-)
Check out the full review over at HardwareXL!
MGE Magnum 500W PSU Review
Power supplies, everybody needs one, but which one do you need? Lots of companies make them, but are they any good? All the major companies claim that theirs is the best, how do you know? You can read all the reviews you want, and listen to everyone, and what they ‘suggest’ you buy. I have many PSUs lying around from my purchases and reviews, normally when I hear I am getting something for review I like to check around and see what others thought of it, and see what I can expect from the product, but I have found that it’s always different, all reviews are different.
For the full review, head over to Think Computers.
Samsung WriteMaster SE-W164 16x16x External DVD Writer Review
The Samsung WriteMaster SE-W164 is a USB 2.0 only device and sports a rather impressive maximum writing speed of 16x for single layer DVD media, 8x DVD+R DL burning, and 4x for DVD-R DL burning. That is smoking fast even when compared to today’s internal DVD burners.
Check out the review at PC Stats.
Sharkoon Audics 5.1 Speaker Set
I would have to say I was happy, the bass on the Audics 5.1 was spot on and I could push the speakers up quite high before I got any sort of waffle from the sub. This doesn’t take away the speakers quality as I have a Yamaha SUB on my home theatre setup that cost 3 times the price of the Audics 5.1 set and that can waffle on high levels.
Head over to Xtreme Computing for the full look.
Aerocool Masstige Computer Case Review
Currently, there are two major new design trends for computer
cases. One trend is to move the motherboard tray from the right side of the
case to the left. This, in turn, will make a mounted ATX motherboard upside
down as well as make the right side panel the decorative focus instead of
the left side panel. The other new trend in computer cases is to have the
front of the case entirely modular, having 5.25″ drive bays from top to
bottom. Both these designs have their own mutually exclusive advantages.
While many companies have used either one or the other design in their new
cases, Aerocool is first company to adopt both design trends into their new
computer case, the Masstige. In this review, I will take a look at the
innovative and versatile Masstige.
Head over to A True Review.
Quantic Dream Supports AGEIA PhysX Processor in KARMA
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – August 30, 2005 – AGEIA™ Technologies, Inc., the pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics for games, today announced that Quantic Dream is making maximum use of the AGEIA PhysX™ processor for its sequel to Omikron: The Nomad Soul. Quantic Dream has been integrating extensive physics functionality into KARMA using the AGEIA PhysX SDK. When these features are hardware-accelerated by the AGEIA PhysX processor, players will experience a depth of interactivity and realism never before seen in electronic games. The AGEIA PhysX processor will be available on PC add-in boards in late 2005.
Check out the full press release here.
Nvidia GeForce Graphics, Video Cards Guide
Here we have updated our earlier review guide list of Nvidia GeForce graphics, video cards that are currently available. We have included what we hope is enough details allowing you to see clearly what differences there are between the different types of Nvidia GeForce graphics, video cards made without making our review table list somewhat over complicated.
Check out the full guide over at A1 Electronics.
Abit AW8 Review
Abit’s flagship Intel motherboard is based on the 955X chipset. This non-MAX version doesn’t come with too many fancy features but
it does have a great passive heatpipe cooler for the Northbridge.
Check out the full review over at InsaneTek!
Performance Impact on Chaning Memory Size from 1GByte to 2 GByte
Corsair just published a detailed Application Note on performance impact of changing memory size from 1GB to 2GB. The PDF is posted on Corsair’s Tech Notes page here.
You can expect a related article from us in the near future!
ASUS DRW-1608P DL Burner Review
Although there was a bit of erratic behavior in some of the speed tests, the ASUS drive still worked like it should, and as far as DL goes it was right on par with other drives we have tested. It’s possible that a future firmware update (can be updated using Nero’s) could correct these issues, if in fact it is the drive and not the media that caused us problems.
Check out the full review at Viper Lair.
The Rise And Distension Of The Instant Messenger
The instant messenger is actually as old as the e-mail. Betcha didn’t know that! Join Peaz as he looks at the instant messenger, from its humble beginnings to oligarchy that controls it today!
Check out the full article at Rojak Pot.
Nexuiz v1.2 Screenshots
Not long after the release of Cube 2005, we have the latest
revision to Nexuiz the thrilling open-source OpenGL/SDL first person
shooter. Since we last reported on Nexuiz with its initial v1.0 public
release, the developers have added a new Runematch game mode and now
fully support CTF, Domination, and Teamplay. Due to these significant
changes, among other fixes, we have posted some new screenshots from
this latest release. It is continuing to look as if Nexuiz will have a
very interesting and promising road ahead…
Check out the all new screenshots of this great open source game at Phoronix.
RAIDMAX LP-6100E 500W Power Supply Review
The Raidmax LP6100E 500W power supply is ATX 1.2 compliant, and doesn’t come with anything other than a power cord. Given the number of Serial ATA drives on the market, it is surprising to see that RAIDMAX doesn’t at least include a couple molex-to-Serial ATA adaptors.
Check out the full review over at PC Stats.
Infinium Labs is Hiring!
Infinium Labs, makers of the Phantom game console as well as the Ninjor Handheld Gaming Module (compatible with the GBA, PSP, Gameboy DS, MAME, and that LCD game of Dungeons and Dragons with the bat), the Sparkle Kitten PMP for Babies, and the Chitin Gaming Hard Suit, a full body controller that melds with your nervous system for maximum gaming performances—NOTE: None of these products will ever be released—is hiring!
Ha ha ha.. check out the post at Gizmodo for the full post.
Linux: 2.6.13 Kernel Released
Linus Torvalds announced the release of the 2.6.13 Linux kernel. “The most painful part of 2.6.13 is likely to be the fact that we made x86 use the generic PCI bus setup code for assigning unassigned resources,” Linus began. “That uncovered rather a lot of nasty small details, but should also mean that a lot of laptops in particular should be able to discover PCI devices behind bridges that the BIOS hasn’t set up.” He went on to note, “we’ve hopefully fixed up all the problems that the longish -rc series showed, and it shouldn’t be that painful, but if you have device problems, please make a report that at a minimum contains the unified diff of the output of ‘lspci -vvx’ running on 2.6.12 vs 2.6.13. That might give us some clues.”
Read all about it here!
Modding the Xbox in 10 Minutes
Xbox modification has come a long way in the past couple years. With the introduction of the TSOP mod, potential modders no longer had to shell out money for a modchip; rather just bridge two points on the Xbox motherboard. Now one doesn’t even have to open up his Xbox. Welcome to the world of soft modding. Using code exploits in certain games, a user is able to load a phony gamesave that will boot into a Linux based operating system and allow a user to mod his Xbox… in under ten minutes.
This is good stuff! Definitely check it out at Tech Freaks if you are interested in making your Xbox that much cooler!
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse Review
It was a few moons ago that I reviewed Logitech’s first Laser mouse, the MX1000. A great cordless mouse, I anxiously awaited for them to use the technology in their next gaming mouse. That day has arrived with two variations using the Laser. We’re going to review the corded one first and thus we look at the G5 Laser Mouse.
Check out the full review at Gaming Nexus for the full review!
Titan L-Type Vanessa Review
T-t-t-t-itan! Yeah, I was scared when I saw this package, you can bet on that. When I found this huge box waiting for me, I was more than wondering,”HOLY NUBOFLUB HOW BIG IS THIS THING!11!111″ You’d be suprised, the Heatsink is huge, but the goodies in the box are even bigger.
Hah. Check out the full review over at SDM Lan Review. You can also check out our review of this cooler here.
Zotob worm writer caught by FBI
Local police have arrested two people in Turkey and Morocco under suspicion of involvement in the Zotob, Rbot and Mytob computer Windows 2000 worms, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft worked in conjunction with the Turkish and Moroccan authorities and the U.S. FBI, according to a release from the company. The software vendor, through a division it created two years ago to investigate cybercrime, provided the FBI with technical information and analytical support that was then shared with Turkish and Moroccan police.
Let me be the Billionth person to say, “Yay!”. Check it out at Tech World.
CompactFlash Card Roundup: 1GB Models
Buying the right CF card for your digital camera can be difficult, well mostly confusing since there are size, type and speed considerations to wrap your head around first. In this roundup of 1GB CompactFlash cards, PCSTATS will be testing out four CF memory cards of various speeds, as well as a 1GB IBM Microdrive hard disk, with an eye to comparing their performance in digital cameras as well as various data transfer tasks. I think you’ll find the results quite interesting as we look at high speed cards in consumer level camera’s…
If you are looking into purchasing a 1GB CF card, look no further for information than this PC Stats article.
Sapphire Pure Innovation A9RX480 S939 Mainboard
ATI’s Xpress 200P seemed like a strange choice, as previous partners’ motherboards fell short in almost every department when compared to the established duo. However, with the mix of RX480 northbridge and SB450 southbridge, SAPPHIRE has added its own mix of design flair and an enthusiast-friendly BIOS to create a motherboard which is strong in most areas. PI-A9RX480’s subjectively stunning looks are complemented by a decent layout and reasonable feature-set, and general performance is good, whilst overclocking performance is just stellar.
Head over to Hexus for the in-depth look.
Microsoft Leaked New Nike Mouse & Ergonomic Keyboards
Microsoft has apparently leaked info about some of their new laser mice and cool-looking ergonomic USB keyboard. We gathered as much info as possible and discussed what we think are the coolest. They are the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, Notebook Optical (1000-dpi) Mouse 3000 and Laser (2000-dpi) Mouse 6000. Personally, we liked the Notebook Optical Mouse 3000, b/c it looks more like a Nike shoe than a mouse. And the Ergonomic 4000 Keyboard maybe able to help our news guy’s repetitive stress injury. Otherwise, he may need new arms.
These are all great looking products, but I prefer the Laser Mouse 6000 personally. Check out the Mouse 6000, Ergo Keyboard 4000 and Athletic Mouse at Everything USB!
Kingmax Mars DDR2-667 (5-5-5-15 @ 3-3-3-8) Review
Although Kingmax is no Corsair, Mushkin, or OCZ in the
enthusiast market for that matter here in the United States, they have
been quietly making memory solutions since 1989 and made quite a stir
here during SDRAM days. Up for review today, we have their Mars DDR2-667
512MB modules, but with a SPD CAS Latency of five can it keep up with
such low-latency alternatives as Corsair’s XMS2-5400UL? Well to be
frank, hell yes it can! We managed to tighten these 5-5-5-15 modules all
the way to 3-3-3-8, while being completely stable on air!
Ouch, that seems like high stock timings, even for DDR2. At least they overclock quite easily! Check out the full look over at Phoronix.